Game counter



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. H

GAME 0 ER. No. 400,770. Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N9 Model.)

J. HOPE. GAME, COUNTER.

No. 400,770. Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

N PLTERS. Phclobihugrapher. Washmglom D. C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. HOPE GAME COUNTER.

(No Model.)

No. 400,770. Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

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N, PETERS Photo-Li hognphar, Wahinpm n z;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HOPE, OF LIVERPOOL, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

GAME-COUNTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,770, dated April 2,1889.

Application filed October 16, 1888. Serial No. 288,201. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN HOPE, engineer, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, and a resident of 14 lVater Street, Liverpool, in the county ofLancaster, England, have in vented new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Marking or Registering the Scores Made in Playing the Gameof Billiards and other Like or Equivalent Games, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to that type of markin g or registering apparatusin which the marking is effected through mechanical devices and thenumber of games played is registered by a counter, and in which two setsof marking devices are employed, the score of one player or set ofplayers being registered by one of the marking devices and the score ofanother player or set of players being registered by the other markingdevice.

The chief objects of my invention are to make markers of the kind justspecified more durable, simpler, and more effective for the purposes forwhich they are intended, and to render it possible at the same time toconstruct the improved apparatus at a lower cost than heretofore.

The following is a description of an apparatus, according to myinvention, for marking the scores made in playing the game of billiardsand pyramids, reference being had to the annexed sheets of drawings,which make a part of this specification, and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon, like letters and figures being used todenote like parts throughout the drawings.

The drawings, together with the description hereinafter given, will. besufiicient to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionbelongs to make and use the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus accordingto my invention. Fig. 2 is a back elevation of the apparatus, showingthe internal arrangement of the mechanism, the back of the apparatusbeing removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the apparatus,taken through .20 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front view showing the markingof the back dial.

In apparatus involving my invention there are employed a case or frame,circular dials, pointers working about the axis of the dials, a lockingdevice, a counter for registering the number of games played, and asounding device t'or denoting the termination or commencement of everyfresh game.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is an example of a billiard-markerembodying all the above-named features and parts, and of a typeespecially applicable for use in public billiard-romns or places wherethey would be used under similar conditions. The apparatus comprises anexternal arrangement of dials, pointers, and a counter or register forscoring the games of billiards and pyramids, and an internal arrangementof mechanism for operating the parts.

a is the case or frame of the apparatus, in which are mounted twocircular markingdials, one for each player or set of players. Thesedials are in duplex and of the same construction. It will therefore besu'liicient to describe one. It consists of a front dial, 6, and a backdial, 0, the front dial, 1), being provided with apertures or windows(1, and the edge I) of the dial divided into fifty divisions, which arepartly provided with figures, Say from one to thirty, in numericalorder, from right to left, for marking the game of billiards. Thecent-(51311 of the dial is provided with sixteen divisions, numbered 0,l, to 15, for marking the game of pyramids.

The under or back dial, 0, is provided with two sets of numerals dividedinto twenty divisions and arranged thus5, 6O, 10, G5, 15, 70, 20, 75,25, 80, 30, 85, 35, 90, 40, 95, 45, 100, 50, 55. This dial is arrangedon its axis so that it can be set by the shunt-piece c to exhibit eitherone or the other set of the above figures through the windows (I.

In the drawings, Fig. 1, the dials are shown exhibiting like sets offigures. I employ two pointers, 7L 1', the pointer '1? being used tomark each break or score, and which I call the brcalepointer, while theother pointer, 71, is moved. by the break-pointer i in such a mannerthat it (the game-pointer) will be moved forward the exact number ofpoints traversed by the break-pointer. Thus when registering a score thebreak-pointer 2, whose rec normal position is zero, is moved to the leftto the number on the dial edge 7) representing the score or break madeby a player, and is then returned to zero, in which latter movement ihegame-pointer h is moved forward to the correct number. By this meanseach increment of score is added to the total without the necessity ofthe mental operation of arithmetical addition. I make the game-pointer hlarger and heavier than the break-pointer 2', so as to clearly indicatethe progress of the game. I also fine the game-pointer down in line withand to serve to point to the pyramid figures in the center W, to be usedwhen playing the game of pyramids. The breakpointer 'L' is made lighterand less discernible, as its purpose is simply to feed the pointer it.

The dials a. and c are surrounded by a bezel, j, holding a glass coverperforated in the center to permit of the projection of a spindle andmilled head from the mechanism hereinafter described. I prefer to makethe dial 1) of decorated tinned sheet-iron plates. I turn up the edge ofthe front dial, 1), to form a rim to give it strength and to support theglass cover. I also turn up the edge of the back dial, 0, aboutone-sixteenth of an inch to prevent undue attrition between the twodials, whereby the numerals on the dial 0 would be defaced.

The spindle it, on which the game-pointer h is carried, is hollow, andon its inner end there is provided a toothed wheel, Z, provided withfifty teeth, corresponding with the divisions at Z) on the edge of thedial Z).

The break-pointer iis carried by a solid spindle, 2", which passesthrough the hollow spindle h of the gamepointer 71, and this spindle 1'passes through the glass cover and is provided with a milled head, 7;,whereby it (the breakpointer) is moved.

On the inner end of the spindlet" is fixed an arm, m, which is providedwith. a pawl, 91, by which the toothed wheel I is worked, and

thereby, through the hollow spindle 72, the

game-pointer 7t is moved.

p is a foundation-plate fixed to the frame a and which carries theprincipal parts of the mechanism. This plate 1) is provided with bossesto support the hollow spindles 71 and thereby the solid spindles t" ofthe breakpointers i 't' of the two dials Z) l).

q is a locking-plate. It is actuated by a key, 0, which is inserted inthe front of the apparatus. The plate (1 is pivoted on the plate p inits center, above the key 0, and works in guides r, and is held in itsnormal position (that is, locking the arms m) by a spring, .3, so thatthe arms on and the spindles c" and break-pointers 2 cannot be moveduntil the apparatus is unlocked by the key 0, lifting and retaining theplate q out of gear with the arms m.

t is a bell-crank lever, the short arm if of which is actuated by a cam,u, on one of the wheels], as shown in the drawings. The long arm 2? ofthe levert carries a pawl, o, and this pawl r communicates motion to thecounter device to. This counter device 10 is of any well-known kind anddoes not need a detailed description. The back action of the lever 15 isprovided by the spring t Attached to the lever 25 is a hammer, as,which, when a game is completed and the counter w moved, strikes a gong,y, and gives notice that the game is ended.

I construct the frame a in such a manner that it cannot be enteredclandestinely. The back or cover a is arranged to slide in grooves 1,and a block, 2, is then fixed so that it cannot be withdrawn, the block2 being fixed by a screw, 4, the head of which is in the front of theframe a. The screw-head is countersunk, made level, and then covered byaseal, 3, or by gumming a special label over it. It will thus be seenthat the back of the machine cannot be removed without withdrawing thescrew, and in doingthis the seal or label will be destroyed and theattempt to enter the machine discovered.

I prefer to use that kind of game pointer or register 10 in which thenumbers are impressed on fiat disks, and in order that it cannot betampered with from the outside I place it and the glass that covers itwholly within the frame a. On the outside of the frame a, I fix a metalplate, 5, having three projections on the back equal in length to thethickness of the front of the frame a, and through each of theseprojections I make a conical hole of the smallest possible size, throughwhich the indications of the register can be observed.

The operation of marking a game of billiards by an apparatus accordingto my invention is as follows: The dials c are set by the shunt-pieces eto exhibit 5, 10, 15, and so on to 50. lVhen a break is made, thepointer i is moved to the left by the milled head is to the numberrepresenting the break on the divisions on the edge I) of the dial b. Inthis act of moving the break-pointer '2' its spindle t" moves the arm m,so that the pawl a engages with a tooth of the wheel Z corresponding tothe number on the edge I? of the dial 1) to which the pointer i has beenmoved. The pointer z is now returned to its zero position, and in theact of returning the wheel Z is moved, and thereby, through the hollow.spindle h, the game-pointer h is moved andindicates 011 the dial thesame amount as was indicated by the break-pointer i. This action isrepeated for each break, and the successive breaks are thus mechanicallyadded to the score indicated by the game-pointer it without thenecessity of mental addition. At the end of each game of fifty, or whenthe. pointer it reaches .50, the counter w is .ad-- vanced a unit, andthe gong y is sounded. When the game is a one hundred up, after thescore of fifty has been reached the dials c are moved by theshunt-pieces e to exhibit the higher order of numbersname1y, 55, 60, 65,and so on to 100and the marking continued as before.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a billiard and other register, the combination, with a dialprovided with numerals, a main working-pointer for registering the stateof the games, a single ratchet=wheel mounted on said pointer, and apawl-lever and pawl by which said wheel is actuated, of a hand actuatedpointer mounted on the same arbor as the main working-pointer andconnected with said pawl-lever, whereby the increments of score areadded and the said main working-pointer operated, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with the pointer-spindle z" of an apparatus formarking the scores made in playing the game of billiards and other likegames, of a cam, a, lever 15, secondary counter w, gong y, andgong-striker m, said lever being adapted to be operated by the said camand to actuate the said counter and gong, as set forth.

3. In a billiard or other game marker, the combination of the spindlet", the actuatinghead k, pointer i, pawl-lever m pawl 01, ratchet-wheelZ, hollow shaft h, pointer h, a numeral-dial, c, and he cam a,- lever t,gong y, striker w, pawl 'u, and counter 20', as set forth.

4. The combination, with the actuating pawl-levers m, of a lever, q, andkey 0, said lever being adapted to engage and interlock with the saidpawl-levers m and operated by the key 0, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

- 5. In a billiard or other game marker, the combination of the spindlest" i, actuatingheads is k, pointers 2' 2', pawl-levers m m, pawls n n,ratchet-wheels Z l, hollow shafts h h, pointers h h, cam a, lever 25,gong y, striker 00, pawl o, counter w, and a locking-lever, q, and key0, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN HOPE.

\Vitnesses FREDERICK JOHN CHEESBROUGH, JAMES ANDREW COUBROUGH,

Both of 15 Water Street, Liverpool.

